MarineDreamer's Marine Dream

[MarineDreamer]

I like the shelving system. IMO as long as the sytem links up alright, each tank does its job, and you don't have micro bubbles because of it, then its no problem. I think its a great way to utilize a small footprint in your garage. Well done.

Thank you. We’ll see how well the tanks perform. The shelving uses Simpson Strong-Tie RTS-24 brackets. Apparently, a shelf is supposed to be able to hold 800 pounds over an eight foot span out of 2x4. Where the sump sits, I ran it on 2x6’s a bit over four feet.

I got to playing with the chiller plumbing today. The intake for the chiller is right below the where the tank overflow will be coming in. (First picture) I’ll have to rig up something to prevent mircobubbles from getting pulled into the chiller. The chiller pump is a PanWorld NH-40PX (second picture) and the chiller is a Pacific Coast Import C-0500 (third picture) controlled by a Digital Aquatics Reef Keeper 2. (Fourth picture) The output comes back into the sump behind one of the baffles. (Last picture) I was thinking that I didn’t want chilled water coming in where the thermometer could read it.

When I went to leak test the chiller, I used hot tap water. The RK2 was indicating that the water was 120. It took the chiller and hour and a half to bring 45 gallons down to 80.

I also plugged in the heaters. Two ViaAqua 300 watt heaters also on the RK2 set to 78. Doesn't take them long to move the temp up. We’ll see once the entire system is plumbed.

So far there are no leaks, and it didn’t seem to get too hot behind the chiller. That was one of my concerns with its location. I’m not sure it’s getting enough air circulation around it. I might end up putting a fan up there; but right now I don’t think that I need it.

 

[DisturbedReefer]

Everything is looking good buddy, thanks for the video yesterday
I will have to make a trip up to see it once you get it up and running. I still have a few frags for you, but I do have redbug right now, a little reluctant to treat since I have the harlequins and multiple other inverts.

 

[MarineDreamer]

I still have a few frags for you.

It’s all good; just continue to take good care of my frag grow out tank for me!:badgrin:

 

[MarineDreamer]

Tonight I got the refugium plumbed in. With the fresh water test, I ran into a small leak at a ¾ inch bulkhead for the return. I had attempted to put the bulkhead in backwards (yes, deliberately) in an effort to conserve space, but A) it wasn't working, and B) the amount of space saved was miniscule anyway. (First and second pictures) So I drained the sump/refugium system, which doesn’t take long, flipped the bulkhead around and viola! No leaks.

The return is a PanWorld NH-100PX.

I had mentioned earlier that I needed to come up with something to relocate the intake for the chiller as it was to close to the intake from the display. The forth picture shows my solution; it ain’t pretty, but it was quick, dirty, cheap, and easy.

I wasn’t happy with the way the water was entering the refugium from the sump. I’m planning on eight to ten inches of sand in there and I didn’t want the incoming water to dig a hole and otherwise blow the sand around. The last picture shows what I came up with.

All in all, I need to get in under the display and make the last of the plumbing connections and I think that I’ll be ready for water.

 

[MarineDreamer]

Alrighty; I go the rest of the plumbing done, and after adding more freshwater, proofed the system. I’m not sure about the return as of yet. It doesn’t look like a lot of water flowing. It’s an inch and a half return pipe, so I don’t know it’s just 900 GPH isn’t going to look like a lot coming through an inch and a half, or that I might have to revisit this pump in the future.

After the water ran for twenty-four hours, I drained the tank out and started putting in the LR. That was fun. Here are some shots to show the process and where I stand now. Yes, I need more LR.

 

[MarineDreamer]

Some more development of the reef crest.

 

[MarineDreamer]

This is as far as I got with the amount of LR that I had on hand. My primary objective was to try and hide the CLS plumbing. Secondly, I’m trying build a structure that with allow easy placement of corals and allow them to grow without overshadowing/overcrowding each other too quickly. And thirdly, try and create as many holes, caves, and nooks as I could for the livestock with out compromising the other two objectives. Sounds easy, right? No chance. I think that took me about three hours to get as far as I did.

 

[NC2WA]

Trevor,

finally found your tank thread.

Looking good. I did the same thing you are doing. Place the LR in the tank first, then add the sand second.

Kirk

 

[MarineDreamer]

'bout time you got to work on this...have you broke anymore of my old equipment or is everything still intact?:lol:

Ya know, people who make smart remarks should be the ones to replace the equipment!!! I was jinxed!!!

Noticed in the picture the spa-flex return line hanging up and over the track for the garage door…

Yup, someone opened the garage from outside and I got to watch to slow motion as the Protein Skimmer didn’t bounce off of the concrete floor. It broke into about a dozen pieces. –Sigh- My wife, in a sympathetic mood, authorized me to go get a new skimmer. So I am looking at an ATI Bubble Master 250.

 

[MarineDreamer]

So with the protein skimmer out of the picture, and me looking into an in sump model, I relocated the where I was going to place the calcium reactor over to where the old skimmer was going to go.

I also laid down styrofoam where the QT(s) are going to go. I was hoping to get three 20 gallon tanks in, but I ran out of room. So that it’ll be where I’ll stick the two QTs. The Styrofoam is intended for vibration dampening more than anything else.

 

[MarineDreamer]

I am planning a tank similar to this and i was wondering where ur going to put ur returns??

Hey Reefboy;

Sorry that I haven’t responded to you sooner; I missed your post…

I’m going to have two WavySeas, one on the left and one on the right and I’m going to try and place them so that they’re in the middle of the ‘lagoons’ that I’m hoping to create with the LR.

I’ll get some pictures posted once I’m done playing with the LR.

 

[willandcorina]

any up dates